Louder Than Thunder
by Brokencydeven
Summary: Golden Age (pre-war). Megatronus tells Orion of his experience growing up as a miner and young gladiator in the Pits of Kaon. Megatronus/Orion Pax. Slash, some dark themes.


**A/N: **(Set in the Golden Age of Transformers: Prime). This Megatronus/Orion Pax fanfic is just genuinely dark and less humorous. But please, enjoy.

**Rated: **Teen (+) for mentions of torture, abuse, rape, slavery and the like among gladiators. All in Megatronus' darkest memories. Slash.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Transformers.

* * *

The bright bolts of electrical discharge gleamed through the metallic window pane in Megatronus' apartment berth-room. A dull sound would shortly echo after the lightning. Silence would follow before a ravenous crash would ravage through the cities in Kaon. The distinct noises and ominous flashes of pure white always bothered Megatronus.

But not as much when Orion Pax was in his servos.

The archivist was warm against his silver frame. Orion's pede wrapped around Megatronus' thighs and a small red servo rested on his broad chassis. Orion Pax nuzzled his helm into the gap between the gladiator's helm and shoulder armour. His ventilating continuously hit Megatronus' neck cables as he comfortably recharged.

Megatronus' servos held Orion close to his frame, his grip so possessive. He absently stroked Orion's servo and occasionally, whenever the mech squirmed or kicked him, he would softly press his lip components on to the clerk's blue helm, lightly enough to not disturb the recharging mech.

And much to his disliking, Megatronus remained alert. Despite the gladiator's efforts, storms and the such have always costed him a good three vorns of recharge. He had only memories to blame. Growing as a youngling in Kaon to become the powerful gladiator he came to be annexed a variety of costs and sacrifices.

Such as innocence.

Megatronus would never forget that.

The innocence lost now haunted him like a dark wound that he believed was never to be alleviated. Like a stain that cannot be erased. There was no light before settling down with Orion Pax. The sweet archivist illuminated the dark. But whenever the gladiator was alone, all he saw was the darkness. It flooded his processor when he offline his optics. Reminding him all of what so long ago happened in vivid detail in his processor. Playing off as a movie, it quickly flashed through his helm without color. Only the color of blue. The color of energon..

The white flashes of pain. The screaming. The humiliation and disgrace of others watching.

Like the lightning, the thunder. The rain, continuously falling from the sky until sunlight dominated.

He didn't think he would ever be liberated from the darkness that filled his processor. Until he had met Orion. The mech had brought a sense of kinship and affections to Megatronus' authority. Orion was the rays of sunlight that alleviated the pain and stress haunting Megatronus. The gladiator only felt so perfect and warm when Orion Pax was around. Because everything about the sweet and graceful archivist made Megatronus' spark spin erratically in its chamber. He was the light Megatronus never saw before. And Megatronus would never forget the first time seeing those deep optics...

Lightning crackled nearby and almost immediately, a carnivorous thunder echoed after it, shaking the metallic grounds beneath the apartment they lay. Megatronus closed his optics at the sound, flinching and slightly jumping from the intense noises. His sudden movements must have awakened the clerk on top of him. Orion's flat azure optics lazily clicked online. Tired, he lifted his blue helm from Megatronus' frame and looked at the gladiator with wide optics, his systems onlining as he quickly blinked those bright optics.

His vocals purred softly in his classical baritone,"Megatronus?"

The gladiator had his dim blue optics squeezed shut and his optical ridges noticeably arched upwards in fear. His expression was distasteful. It was as if someone had just striked Megatronus, inflicting great pain through his sensory nets and all else. It concerned Orion Pax.

"What's wrong?" Orion asked again, his tired vocalizer steadying. The servo that rested on Megatronus' silver chassis slid to the other side of the berth and he lifted his frame to make optical contact with Megatronus. Merely inches from Megatronus' face plates, the gladiator finally returned the gaze. His intakes hitched at the sight of the anxious archivist hovering about him. Megatronus was quiet as he stared at Orion.

"Speak to me, Megatronus," Orion had somewhat demanded, still tired from just awaking.

The gladiator blinked, "I am fine".

Orion uneasily scanned the mech's face plates. "Do not lie to me," he quietly replied.

It surprised the gladiator, leaving him mute. Megatronus never liked the idea of lying to the sweet and caring archivist on top of him, but sometimes, the truth was just too _much_. For either one of them. Orion shifted his frame, the other small servo that didn't keep him propped up reached for Megatronus' helm and there was silence as their ventilating echoed. Orion's pede still wrapped around Megatronus' thighs and the metal scraped together as he pulled his frame up to make steadier optic contact.

The heavy rain drops hit the window and lightning erupted through the skies, the entire berth-room brightened considerably before a loud thunder rumbled.

Megatronus' intakes hitched and his frame jumped under Orion's gentle hold. His dental clenched in his speechless, open mouth as he offline his optics. The after shock of the thunder echoed and faintly, the noise died off. Orion seemed unaffected by the storm. But very disoriented by Megatronus' behavior.

"Are you afraid?" Orion hesitantly vocalized in his shy baritone.

Megatronus online his optics at the question only to see the archivists' concerned expression. Just by seeing the look in Megatronus' dim, blue optics, Orion Pax already knew the answer was yes. Megatronus_ hated_ it. He waited for the data clerk to laugh or comment or do something utterly ridiculous that would surely embarrass Megatronus to the Pit.

But none of that happened. Instead, the silver mech felt Orion's digits curl into a weak fist and brush against the side of his helm, prying open his optics with the affectionate movement. He stared up at the modest clerk and the room was quiet for another klik.

"Why?"

Orion's vocals were soft and not at all mocking, but the question was shaky. Megatronus winced underneath the clerk, the question plaguing his processor. Of course, the answer was more than clear to Megatronus. But he couldn't simply tell Orion Pax because that would cause the caring mech to pity him. Or worse, become equally traumatized. He never opened up to anyone before. Afraid of the result if Orion Pax were to know of the darkness and lust for power and control that lay so deep inside him, that the data clerk would leave him. Leave him with the darkness constantly pulling him back to the nightmares.

And so, Megatronus panicked slightly. His processor nervously scrambled for the answer. For the many answers. As he thought deeply, he felt Orion's gentle digits take a firm hold on the side of his helm. Staring, Megatronus lifted one of his heavily armoured servos and placed it over the warm digits holding the side of his pointed helm that much tighter. His larger, ebony digits took told of Orion's.

"Orion, I told you I am fine".

The clerk narrowed his optical ridges at the response. His patience was quickly fading away, "Megatronus I know that is not true-"

"Leave it be! Go back to recharge," Megatronus interrupted, trying his best not to raise his vocals.

The archivists' mouth hung open and it was quiet for a yet another moment. "No," he said.

Megatronus' optics shuttered offline, becoming irritated of the circle he and Orion seemed to be moving in.

"What are you so afraid of Megatronus?" Orion finished, his vocals raising to try getting the gladiator's attention back. But suddenly, another huge flash of lightning brightened the room and a deep burst of thunder loudly followed, demanding attention. Megatronus' expression grew sour once more. It really started to worry Orion Pax. It was just a storm, right? What was there to have such distinct fear for?

Megatronus knew Orion saw the modification in his face plates with out even onlining his own optics. He had a short, mental fight in his processor in whether to just give in to the archivists' polite question or to hold his defiance in the argument to sheave his emotions.

Megatronus growled deep in his throat, "I just do not like storms-" he mumbled.

The archivist shook his helm, interrupting the silver mech with a deep hum. "There's more to it than that. You can tell me".

"I can't," Megatronus answered quickly with louder vocals, optics narrowing up at Orion. The pitch of his vocals were dark and vocalized loud enough to make the archivist half on top of him flinch.

The archivist lifted an optical ridge,"Why not!?"

Orion Pax turned blue helm to look away from the silver mech under him and gazed at the window. He blinked as the room flashed again with white. A few moments of silence passed before the thunder at last roared, rumbling through the streets. The sound immediately evoked the archivist and instinctively, he curiously shot his helm back to watch Megatronus' reactions. The silver mech noticeably flinched under him as the noise rumbled quietly out of hearing.

"Megatronus..."

The gladiator online his blue optics to give Orion a weak stare. The room was quiet all but the hard rainfall heavily hitting the single window. And Megatronus finally gave in to the sweet data clerk's worried stare and soft caressing. "It's just.. bad memories. There's nothing to stress about," Megatronus said.

It was quiet yet again. Megatronus somehow knew that Orion Pax, being the stubborn mech he is, would do nothing else _but _stress.

"Bad memories?" Orion asked, his noble helm tilting.

The look on Orion's face plates sent Megatronus' field stuttering out of control. His intakes hitched, tensing in apprehension. "Something like that," he replied in a low mumble. He turned his helm to look at the window, purposely trying to avoid Orion's powerful optics. But even looking away, he could still feel the confused stare. No matter how hard Megatronus would try in any situation, the archivist always pried things out of him. Whether it be secrets, memories, or knowledge. Orion was always all audio receptors, he would listen to even the most ridiculous stories Megatronus had to share.

Pulling Megatronus out of his reverie, Orion softly said, "I know it hurts.." he was stroking Megatronus' helm ever so gently.

Megatronus all but blinked before turning his gaze and having their optics locked. Dropping his servo, Megatronus said nothing, allowing the clerk to explain. "But you need to let me in. I can help you," he assuredly whispered.

"It hurts far worse than you could imagine, Orion," Megatronus warned. "It is not a worth-while memoir. You do not need to know nor should you care. Whats dead is gone, its in the past."

As he spoke, Orion slumped his shoulder plating and fell limply to the berth, his servos nuzzling against Megatronus' massive chassis. Finished speaking, the gladiator shifted on to his side. Because of his able-bodied shoulder armour, he had to work his way into a comfortable position. His servos moved to wrap around Orion's waist and pull him closer.

"Please, Megatronus. I am here for you. I do not care how long ago it occured! It _still_ bothers you," Orion refered, stressing his point.

The gladiator released a ventilation he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. He couldn't even begin to describe how difficult it would be to put his painful memories and darkness into words for the archivist to properly visualize.

"Kaon," Megatronus absently said, as if the word explained everything that caused the darkness.

Orion's optical ridges arched upwards. His classically deep vocals hummed softly before he understandingly nodded. Orion's gaze fell down to the servos he had on Megatronus frame and started to massage the slightly shaking metal, moving his a red servo up to the silver shoulder. His servo was small enough to fit into the gaps of open armour and his digits lovingly caressed the metal. Megatronus' cooling fans nearly online from the bold touches.

"Being thrown into slavery among the gladiators and abused by our masters.. Raped by the young miners in heat," a shiver threatened down the gladiator's spinal struts as he spoke. Another flash of electrical discharge crackled and shinned through the metallic window and the room lit up. This time the silence was practically non-existent before a loud, obnoxious thunder sounded.

Megatronus blinked to shake off the fear. He began looking into Orion's optics, searching for comfort in the heavenly shade of blue. The data clerk's intakes grew deep and hesitantly asked, "You didn't ever...?"

The gladiator immediately shook his helm in the negative, knowing to what Orion refered. "Never. I wouldn't dare drop to such a repugnant trait the others have in the Pits," he assured with a straight set of clenched dental, barely shinning in his mouth as more lightning striked. "I began taking heat suppressant medications to avoid such a redundant phase," Megatronus answered.

Orion all but quietly nodded, allowing the silver mech to continue. "But I did have to suffer through the agony".

The archivists' lip components hung open, speechless. And before the mech could sum up anything to say. An apology or something, Megatronus continued, quickly changing the topic. "Believe me, no bot there _wanted _to become a gladiator. I witnessed the miners and gladiators I shared the showers and the recharging quarters with beaten severely for not cooperating with their masters..."

More lightning. More thunder. And barely a nano-klik afterwards, another bolt of lightning crackled loudly, louder and closer than any of the ones before. The archivist silently gasped, his chaste lip components spread and his flat blue optics fell to Megatronus' chassis. One of the servos rested against the metal, compassionate grip tightening. "Did that happen to you?"

Megatronus winced as thunder roared throughout the city of Kaon, shaking the nearby ground lightly. Megatronus' optics locked with Orion Pax's. He didn't possess such nerve to deceive him, but he didn't answer the question. He listened to the seemingly menacing rain drops hit the window. It was as if each drop taunted Megatronus, and the silver mech absently began to explain his past to the smaller mech cuddling in his servos.

"There were uncountable ways they cogitated to torture those who did not obey, " he started. The silver mech's usually strong and powerful vocals shaky and scared, causing Orion to lean in to even audio what he vocalized.

For a moment, Orion almost thought he saw coolant gathering in Megatronus' azure optics. But Megatronus forced the tears to remain concealed and began speaking again. His dignity would instantly perish if he allowed himself to end up in such a state.

"We were presumed to be convicted of purpose. So they would give us what they believed we deserved, and nothing less. All who opposed would be severely punished. Beaten. Raped. Stripped of their innocence in front of everyone. Over and over again. They would pin us to the walls, whispering into our audio receptors that it was a fragging _pleasure _to endure the such. It was worse being in the crowd among other miners and simply watching as a Kaonite Cybertronian was stripped of everything naturally scared as if it were for_ entertainment_. The ones who tried to save any bot suffering were offlined on the spot.." Megatronus trailed off, swallowing the empty, dry energon in his mouth.

"Some of the miners who attempted rescuing tortured bots didn't even know them. Personally, anyway. They just didn't want to see another helpless Cybertronian suffer," he finished.

Orion was speechless, his optical ridges arched upwards as he listened to Megatronus' intoxicating words and to the excessive rain hitting against the rusted, copper window pane.

Megatronus began listing things under his breath. "Guns, toxic gases, spikes, chains, whips, restraints, the rain.."

"Rain?" Orion quietly interrupted, honestly not wanting to hear any more of the list Megatronus mentally scrolled down. His blue, innocent optics stared in the dark at Megatronus.

The gladiator's lip components shifted into a dark grimace. "Pit.. I will never forget the rain, " he cursed, spitefully. "The acidic rain would bite and tear its way through even the thickest armory gladiators could upgrade. Crippling it like a million thirsty scraplets. And they would leave us in the toxic showers for cycles to come. It was as if they just craved the sound of our vocals as we screamed from the relentless pain. The fragging screams were always louder than thunder..." he finished, vocals dying out from the memories violently flashing through his processor. His massive frame slightly shaking under Orion's soft, caring servos.

"That's how I lost my original shoulder plating design," Megatronus said, Orion's optics widened in disbelief and helplessness of not knowing how to respond to the news. Out of the silence, Megatronus explained himself, "The rain corrupted the metal, burning through it with ease. I had to replace it. Chosing the structure of Megatronus Prime, the Fallen Prime.. they were supposed to resemble the Prime, but I guess the slagger made them too inadequate."

Megatronus offered a weak smile, watching as Orion gawked at his shoulders. The gladiator's servos shifted against Orion's hips, hesitating to pull him closer. "I haven't told anyone that before, brother."

Orion's disturbed lip components dropped open, but his gaze never left Megatronus' dim, azure optics. "I-I'm truly honored that you would inform me of such a traumatizing time for you.. I am so sorry.." Orion apologized. He tried to say calmly, but his vocals sounded obviously taken aback.

Megatronus nodded once and changed the topic. "After such a long period of abhorrence and trauma, most gladiators departed from the sacred beliefs of Primus and the wisdom of the 13 Primes who selflessly watched as the Cybertronians in Kaon before us suffered as well as we did. So many of us still feel the agony burn within us deep in the Pits of Kaon, " his azure optic twitched barely as he continued ranting.

"Which is why I do not take a fond liking of the insatiable bastards," Megatronus scowled hatefully, his optical ridges arched up and his lip components drew into a grim line from the memories. "There was nothing for me but darkness, and it haunts me. It always will," he admit.

Megatronus stared back up from the archivists' chassis to meet Orion's gaze with bright blue optics now, refusing to offline, let alone blink. Afraid if he did just that, he would open his optics and be back in that fatal rain as a mere youngling.

Without light.

Without Orion Pax to hold so tight in his servos and have his eternal wounds laced with his innocence. He didn't necessarily know so, but Orion was constantly acting as a bandage to reduce such trauma Megatronus had to endure as a youngling and all the eons between. Nothing was ever so beautiful before having Orion Pax.

Orion sent him a look, the expression masking his face was unpleasant but ever-so gentle and caring. To Megatronus' greatest surprise, Orion did not turn away from the darkness Megatronus had. He laid in the gladiator's servos having nothing more to offer than his radiance and comfort.

The rain continued pouring forth from the skies above the apartment they rested.

Orion smoothly ran his hand over Megatronus' armour. "If there is such a darkness swelling inside of you, Megatronus. Then allow me to be your light," Orion whispered, his small red servo moved up Megatronus' chassis, towards his neck and finally cupped the side of his helm. "I will aid you, my brother. My love.."

And with that, the archivist pressed his soft lip components against the gladiator's. The feeling was warm and affectionate, it was a passion Megatronus for so long yearned for. Megatronus' own lips shifted, widening and closing on to Orion's, deepening what the data clerk had intended to be a chaste kiss. But Megatronus couldn't find himself to care. He needed to feel all of Orion, the servos he had wrapped around the clerk's blue waist tightened and he gently pulled him a little closer to his silver frame.

Megatronus could sense the heaviness of the weight he always had burdened on his shoulders reduce considerably. Feeling lighter and stronger after opening up to the sweet, caring archivist he loved.

Love.

It was such a strong, over used word that Megatronus hadn't commonly made contact with. But ever since being introduced to Orion Pax, he was consumed with the sensation. There was many things that the shy archivist would never know about Megatronus.

His insatiable lust for power or the quest for control and dominance that swelled deep within him. The aforementioned darkness that is the passenger seeking those sinful things in Megatronus' processor. The resident that cannot be discarded or abandoned.

But the darkness matter not while he possessed Orion Pax. After all, the noble clerk was the divinity and light begging to be released in Megatronus. The light had such potential while he was with Orion. And it was unquestionable that Orion's love was louder than thunder.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm really not even sure if it _can_ rain on Cybertron. But it set the mood, you know? I'm not sure if Megatronus Prime had the same back story in Prime as the bayverse movies. But I tried. And Megatronus' shoulders? Sorry if that confused anyone, but they were replaced due to being corrupted under the toxic showers that he called 'rain'.

Review please. Tell me just how boring or out of character it was. Or tell me how amazingly _perfect _it was. Heh, but please, I'd love to hear any sort of review.


End file.
